Automatic color-change mechanism for shuttle embroidering machine

ABSTRACT

An automatic color-change mechanism for a shuttle embroidering machine has a pair of pusher guides arranged on a needle carriage and converging to a point at the front of the latter and at an acute angle to each other. For the 4/4 repeat, a left hand pusher in one guide and a right hand pusher in the other are linked with a control bar movable transversely to the working direction of the needles. The linkage levers are disposed at an angle to each other such that, as the control bar moves left, the left hand pusher is moved into working position while the right hand pusher is withdrawn and vice versa.

United States Patent [191 Langenegger AUTOMATIC COLOR-CHANGE MECHANISM FOR SHUTTLE EMBROIDERING MACHINE July 16, 1974 Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno [57] ABSTRACT An automatic color-change mechanism for a shuttle embroidering machine has a pair of pusher guides arranged on a needle carriage and converging to a point at the front of the latter and at an acute angle to each other. For the 4/4 repeat, a. left hand pusher in one guide and a right hand pusher in the other are linked with a control bar movable transversely to the working direction of the needles. The linkage levers are disposed at an angle to each other such that, as the control bar moves left, the left hand pusher is moved into working position while the right hand pusher is withdrawn and vice versa.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENT EU JUL 1 51974 SHEET 1 0F 2 AUTOMATIC COLOR-CHANGE MECHANISM FOR SHUTTLE EMBROIDERING MACHINE This invention relates to an attachment or mechanism for shuttle embroidering machines which makes possible fully automatic two-color change in all repeats, including 4/4 repeats.

To achieve this purpose the color-change device or mechanism according to the invention has pairs of pusher guides arranged on a needle carriage and converging to a point at the front at an acute angle to each other. For each 4/4 repeat a left-hand pusher running in one guide and a right-hand pusher running in the other guide are linked by pairs with a control bar movable transversely to the working direction of the needles, by connecting levers arranged at an angle to each other, in such manner that asthe control bar movesleft the left-hand pusher moves in its guide into the working position, and the right-hand pusher in the other guide assumes its resting position, whereas when the control moves right the pushers are brought into the opposite positions.

Compared with color changing systems known heretofore the device according to the invention has the advantage of being absolutely unsusceptible to trouble, even with the simplest design. Moreover, two-color embroidering is possible in all repeats by taking out the appropriate needles. Automatic color change as well as two-color embroidering are possible in the 4/4 repeat also.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the draw- FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top view of the colorchanging-mechanism, with the control bar moved to the left;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 which illustrates the position of a pair of connecting levers with needle pushers as the control bar is moved to the right; V

FIG. 4 is an elevational view in the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is atop view ofa needle pusher with its needle;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII- VII of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view as taken along the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawing, the automatic color changing device shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 comprises wedgeshaped guide pieces 2 and 3 fixed with-screws 4 on a needle carriage or needle rail 1 working transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof, so'that their acute-angled points 2' and 3' project alternately from opposite sides,

has a right-hand pusher 6 running in a guideway 5 linked by a pair of connecting levers 7 and '7' with a left-hand pusher 6 running in a guideway 5'. The front ends of the connecting levers 7 and 7 are pivoted to pushers'-6 and 6' arranged in 4/4 repeat by means of hinge pins 8, while the rear ends of the connecting levers 7 and 7 are linked with a control bar 10 extending lengthwise of the needle rail 1, by means of a common hinge pin 9. At their front ends the needle pushers 6 and 6' carry needle clamps 11 and 11' holding needles 12 and 12 each of which, as shown in FIG. 6, includes an angle of l4 with its pusher axis. In the longitudinal axis of the needle rail 1, i.e., transverse to the working direction of the needles, the control bar 10 can perform a limited movement of about 52 mm and runs in two sets of rollers 13 guiding its edges.

As the control bar 10 is shifted to the right, the righthand needle pushers 6 withthe needles 12 are brought into their working position (FIG. 3), and as the control bar is shifted to the left the same happens with the lefthand pushers 6, and the needles '12. The left-hand pushers 6' are a mirror image of the right-hand pushers 6. The position x of the needles on needle rail 1 is the same in the working position of the left and right-hand pushers 6 and 6'. Due to the left and right-hand pushers pushers 6 as the bar is moved to the right. Hence the color change can be effected by operating the control bar 10, without having to stop the machine.

Because in the working position the pushers 6 or 6 are approximately parallel to their connecting levers 7 or 7 and the connecting levers are almost at right angles to the control bar 10, even under hard stitching impacts the stress on the needles in the working position has only an insignificant effect in the direction of the control bar traverse 10, so that the pressures are taken up solely by the needle carriage.

The mutual stop for the needle pushers 6 and 6 formed by the convergence of the pusher guides 5 and 5 at the intersection P limits the traverse a of the control bar at the same time. Every movement of the control bar 10 actuates all needles simultaneously, drawing back the needles in the working position and at the same time advancing the needles in the resting position into the working position.

The needle carriage 1 equipped with the device described has a height of only l2 mm approximately, including thecover (FIG. 4).

With the'control bar ,10 in the left-hand positiomthe link 7 of the connecting lever pairs 7 and 7 in the working position is crossed by two links 7 of the neighboring connecting levers pairs 7 and 7 in the resting position, whereas in the right-hand position of the controlbar 10 the link 7 of a connecting leverpair 7, 7 in the working position crosses each time the two links'7 of the neighboringconnecting lever pair 7, 7 in the resting position.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic color-change mechanism for a shuttle embroidery machine, having pairs of pusher guides arranged on a needle carriage and converging to a point at the front at an acute angle to each other, wherein for each 4/4 repeat a left-hand pusher running in one guide and a right-hand pusher running in the other guide are linked in pairs with a control bar movable transversely to the working direction of the needles by connecting levers disposed at an angle to each other such that as the control bar moves left the lefthandpusher moves in'its guide into working position, and the right-hand pusher in the other guide assumes its resting position, while as the control bar moves right the pushers are brought into positions opposite thereto.

2. An automatic color-change mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting levers are linked in pairs with the control bar by a common pivot pin, being divergent to the front and having their ends each conlever pairs in the resting position. 

1. An automatic color-change mechanism for a shuttle embroidery machine, having pairs of pusher guides arranged on a needle carriage and converging to a point at the front at an acute angle to each other, wherein for each 4/4 repeat a left-hand pusher running in one guide and a right-hand pusher running in the other guide are lInked in pairs with a control bar movable transversely to the working direction of the needles by connecting levers disposed at an angle to each other such that as the control bar moves left the left-hand pusher moves in its guide into working position, and the right-hand pusher in the other guide assumes its resting position, while as the control bar moves right the pushers are brought into positions opposite thereto.
 2. An automatic color-change mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting levers are linked in pairs with the control bar by a common pivot pin, being divergent to the front and having their ends each connected by a pivot pin with a pusher running in the respective guide.
 3. An automatic color-change mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein, with the control bar in the left-hand position, the link of the connecting lever pairs in the working position is each time crossed by two links of neighboring connecting lever pairs in the resting position, whereas in the right-hand position of the control bar the link of a connecting lever pair in the working position crosses each time two links of neighboring lever pairs in the resting position. 